Most Popular Entries

Friday, June 27, 2025 8:21pm PDT
 

Blog Denali – Day 19

Bonjour à tous!

Today marks day 19 since we all met in Anchorage, and day 17 on the mountain. Since the first week went so well, many of us believed we’d be off this frozen rock after 15 days... However, Mother Nature had different plans for us. I now understand why Denali has such a tough reputation: the freaking weather!

Today is our 10th day at 14k camp, and the 6th day of weather delay. We’ve endured two snowstorms, and the last one—lasting almost 36 hours—brought 40 cm of fresh snow. Although the weather is finally on our side today, we still can’t move due to avalanche hazards.

Over the past week, no one has summited, and the few teams that made it to high camp were stuck in even worse conditions than we’ve experienced. I’m grateful to our responsible and professional guides for making the decision to stay put.

On a more personal note, this has been one of the hardest weeks of my amateur climbing career. I’ve never waited this long in full winter camping mode, with almost nothing to do. Mornings are cold, and many toes in the team are freezing. On top of that, I feel weaker every day at this altitude. I’ve lost weight and am probably missing plenty of essential nutrients like vitamins and soluble fiber. (Also, the fact that I ran out of food and entertainment played a big role—LOL.)

On the bright side, my amazing team is kindly helping me survive—special thanks to Andrew for the Kindle, Tait for two bags of beef jerky, and Mikaila for letting me use her InReach. I’ve also gained valuable experience for future adventures. I’ve learned about clothing layers (my thin ones suck), baby Nalgene bottles, Leuko tape, pressure breathing, how much toilet paper to bring, glacier travel, gnarly supplements, and more.

Overall, it’s amazing that all 9 team members (and 3 guides) are still here, holding onto hope of reaching the summit. We’re also lucky, in a way, to have a weather window this weekend for a summit attempt. Many teams haven’t even gotten that chance this year.

À ma famille et mes amis, j’ai hâte de vous revoir! J’espère que vous passez un beau mois de juin, plus chaud qu’ici! Même si je manque une partie de l’été montréalais, je profite énormément du plein air, et les paysages glaciaires sont à couper le souffle. J’ai hâte de vous montrer les photos! Évidemment, je suis très stressé pour les deux prochains jours... Envoyez-moi des ondes relaxantes, haha!

Étienne XOX

RMI Guides Eric Frank and Joe Hoch led their Four Day Climb June 2 - 5 to the summit of Mt. Rainier today.  They reached the summit shortly after 7 am and reported clear skies and light winds. The teams will enjoy some time in the crater before starting their descent back to Camp Muir.  After a short stop, they will continue down to Paradise and return to Rainier BaseCamp later this afternoon.

Congratulations to today's climbers!

PC: Layne Peters & Joe Hoch

The Expeditions Skills Seminar - Kautz June 6 - 11 reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning via the Kautz Glacier route. After several days of training the team put their skills to the test ascending the Kautz Ice chute and Wapowety Cleaver.  They reached Point Success at 8:50 am and crossed to Columbia Crest, the true summit of Mt. Rainier 14,410' arriving at 9:12 am.  The team enjoyed a bit of time in the crater and then began their descent.  They will return to camp for a well deserved rest and spend a final night on the mountain. Tomorrow they will continue their descent to Paradise, returning to Rainier BaseCamp to conclude their program.

Way to go team!

PC: Felipe Guarderas & Layne Peters

The team turned around just above the Cleaver yesterday due to difficult walking conditions and challenging weather, which proved too demanding for the group. Eric and his team departed Camp Muir this morning at 7:40 a.m. and are en route back to Paradise.

Everyone is safe, in good spirits, and coming away with valuable mountain experience.

Wednesday, June 11, 2025 - 10:22 pm PT

Today brought the perfection we've been waiting on since our journey began. Blue skies, sunshine, warmth. We walked up the fixed lines with the sun on our backs. The most technical climbing we have seen to date, we secured ourselves to the fixed lines with our ascenders and made our way to the ridge where we placed our final cache. We made it back to camp around 5pm, greeted with more sunshine, and re-hydrated before dinner. Mac'n'Cheeze was in the menu for the evening accompanied by chatter of a potential summit window. We look forward to a day of rest tomorrow, and are hopeful to move to 17,000' Camp Friday.

Fingers crossed!

Thanks for tuning in.

xoxo RMI Guides Hannah, Nikki, & Leif

Monday, June 23, 2025 - 10:21 pm PT

I have this idea for an experiment. All type- A individuals are eligible for sign up. I’ll entice  them with the allure of a once in a lifetime challenge that will test their physical and mental aptitude. Maybe a tall mountain or something. Now, we’ll observe as we keep these folks in one spot, with 2 rooms, and one hall as we wait….and wait…. and wait. While they once filled their time with stair steppers, tire pulls, and long hikes. We’ll fill their time with overfilling meals, books they wish had more words, card games, and time. Lots of it.

Climbing books, movies, stories always glaze over the reality. The waiting. What most think is filled with lung searing, adrenaline pumping climbing is often times just half the tale. The part that everyone skips is the patience of it all. Expedition climbing forces you to slow down and take it one step at a time. While the climbing has you honing in on the next step, the next breath,  the next stretch. The waiting has you broadening your appreciation for the little things. A meal with good conversation, quality time with friends loved ones, a good snuggle with a pet, or… a flushing toilet and a good shower. All of it’s important in its own way and it’s why this style of climbing is like no other. We don’t do this to just have the experience of climbing a peak, but also to show us all what we have at home and appreciate those reading this blog more and more.

Last night it snowed half a foot on us and we awoke to a winter wonderland. Our first real storm day. Boots full of snow, belly’s full of salmon and bagels, and competitive tendencies satiated with games. We will continue to wait. Just like the days before. But that’s ok. I fricken love both sides of this coin. And there’s no game like the game of strategy that expedition climbing provides. When to move, when to wait, when to launch. Best game in the whole world.

So thank you to those who let us step away, to train for hours and climb for weeks. Your patience with our masochistic hobby does not go unnoticed.  Now it’s time to have our 14 Camp trivia night courtesy of my lovely wife Emily. Thanks to all the questions!!

RMI Senior Guide,

Dominic Cifelli

The Four Day Climb teams for June 8 - 12 reached the summit of Mt. Rainier.  RMI Guide Tom Skoog reported good conditions, clear skies and colder temperatures.  The teams enjoyed some time in the summit crater before starting their descent from the crater rim around 7:15 am.  Once back at Camp Muir, the teams will re-pack and continue down to Paradise.  They will conclude their program this afternoon at Rainier BaseCamp.

Nice work team!

The Five Day Climb June 7 - 11 led by RMI Guide Joe Hoch reached the summit of Mt. Rainier today with 100% of the team.  We started in full moonlight and summited 100 percent on a perfect morning!

The climbers will return to Camp Muir for a sort break and to repack before beginning the final descent to Paradise. They will conclude their program later today at Rainier BaseCamp.

Congratulations to the team!

Wednesday, June 5, 2025 - 9:09 pm PT

Surrounded by a majestic you cannot see morphed into our first true view of the epic beauty that surrounds us. Lord of the Rings minus the hobbits, Gandalf, and everything other than really the mountains. Bad analogy but it’s the best I can do.

We cached at 9,900’ and tomorrow, weather permitting, we enter the gauntlet again to Camp 2. I figured making a list of all the things learned so far might be fairly entertaining for all the loved ones back home.

1. Individual snack bags are the way to go. Shoutout to Bob’s daughter, what a game changer.Sifting through a duffel of snacks in 30 MPH winds and snow hitting you in the face makes the See’s Candy not taste as good.

2. Leave a crack in the tent zipper at night. Humidity is very very real, and a damp tent is far from ideal. 

3. Nobody will beat the chess savage, Connor. I don’t think Magnus Carlson has much interest in a game up here in the Alaskan range. 

4. Falling while skiing naked in Colorado is not a good plan at any point in your life.

5. Some adults use binkies, in public, and carry a car seat we believe for themselves? I am as confused as you are, trust me. Hot sauce is the most essential condiment. And under no circumstances can you only bring one.

6. While in Louisiana triple AAA provides world class home cooked service, local errands included.

7. Hot sauce is the most essential condiment. And under no circumstances can you only bring one.

8. Tea tree oil and baby powder is life changing. Bring it, you will not regret it.

9. While training with your pack remember to wear your harness. Your hip bones will thank you a million times over. Seriously, wear it, as stupid as it may look the pack and the harness are enemies.

10. Be organized. Use every tent pocket imaginable. And always, always put things in the same place. Life isn’t easy up here but knowing where your crap is makes a world of difference.

11. When the guides offer you two bagels take the second one with a smile. There’s a method to the madness, don't ask questions and find a way to get it down. Politely refusing a second bagel is a mistake you will only make once. 

12. When you are going downhill use a sled brake. The friction from the rope keeps the back person from playing sled dodge ball. Bumper cars with a 90 pound sled on a glacier is more reminiscent of bowling, you are the pins and the sled gets to be the ball. 

I almost forgot,you can never bring enough skittles. Sure they freeze, but frozen skittles taste as good as room temperature skittles. The originals only.

Thank you for all the prayers, thoughts, and awesome people to come home to.

We wouldn’t be here without the village behind us.

Love,

RMI Climber Caroline and team

The Four Day Climb with Dave Hahn and Jess Wedel has reached the summit of Mt. Rainier!

The team enjoyed clear skies above a thick marine layer, with just a few clouds lingering to the east—a beautiful day to stand on top of the Pacific Northwest. They have begun their descent and are en route to Camp Muir, where they’ll take a break, reorganize their packs, and then continue down to Paradise.

Congratulations to the team on a successful summit!